Requesting Entity: Bulacan State University (BSU)

Issues Concern: Procurement of Publication Services

Details

Whether a student publication is exempted from the coverage of Republic Act (RA) 9184, specifically in contracting the services of a printing press.

[T]he law and its IRR cover the acquisition of the government, which contemplates expenditure of public funds the regulation of which is the primary consideration for the enactment of the law. To reiterate, RA 9184 contemplates projects to be funded by public funds.

In this case, the said transaction involves public funds, i.e. collections from enrolment and registration of students, going into the coffers of the government, and deposited under the account of BSU, which are maintained in its depository bank. Thus, when the Editorial Board contracts a supplier for publishing services, this means that public funds will be eventually disbursed from the treasury.

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[S]ince the acquisition of printing services for the student publication involves expenditure of public funds, it is our considered view that such activity is within the coverage of RA 9184 and its IRR.